Showbiz & Illness: Nora Ephron’s Struggle

Today The New York Times website posted in advance this Sunday’s magazine remembrance of Nora Ephron and her final days as written by one of her sons. The piece makes the poignant case that the reason she was reluctant to talk publicly about her leukemia was because of its effect on her showbiz projects:

At various points over the years, she considered coming clean to her friends and colleagues about her illness. But she knew the effect it could have on her career. Certainly, she could continue writing books and essays. But getting a movie made would be impossible, because no insurance company would sign off on it. Arguably, she could do a play, but bringing it to Broadway would be difficult, given that the development process takes years. Beyond that, what my mother didn’t want was to have her illness define her, turning every conversation into a series of “how are you?”s… Nevertheless, as she ran out of time, she chose not to acknowledge, at least explicitly, what was happening to her. One of the last e-mails she sent went out five days before she died. It was addressed to her film agent, Bryan Lourd. “I am as sad as you can imagine to report that I have leukemia. Early reports are not particularly hopeful but not hopeless either.”

6 Comments

Jim Anderson • on Mar 6, 2013 11:19 am

Had the pleasure of working with her years ago when she was married to Carl Bernstein and an ICM client. Ran into her again when she was directing “Sleepless in Seattle.” A class act and first class talent through a d through .

Micah • on Mar 6, 2013 11:19 am

So what happened after he got the email? Did Lourd drop her as a client, or did he wait until she died and then formally drop her?

Gerd • on Mar 6, 2013 11:19 am

It breaks my Heart that the witty poignant voice of Nora Ephron is no longer here. I have all her essay Collections, and when you read them now – in particularly “I Remember Nothing”, it’s in between the lines that death was coming for her. It sad, it’s funnt, it’s masterful writing.

Zack • on Mar 6, 2013 11:19 am

Obviously this shows her unmatched love for moviemaking and storytelling. We will miss her.

samuel • on Mar 6, 2013 11:19 am

I’m really curious about the statement that no insurance company would sign off on a movie written by her.

Couldn’t she still write screenplays and then sell them while she was ill?

Or was this referring to a movie she would direct and produce?

Any insiders care to comment?

thx

Mark Kelley • on Mar 6, 2013 11:19 am

The Lourd comment was unwarranted, unnecessary, but worst Ephron sin of all, not funny. When projects are impacted with such news people you work with and care about may get impacted as well too. Then there’s the privacy issue as well which was entirely her right. Who is anybody to question her motives? In the old days Ovitz would have started to mentally re-package her projects just because she lost a couple of pounds. Never had a conversation with Lourd in my life. Nora, in my very limited professional inter-action with her years ago, was all class.